FIG. 8 is a side sectional view illustrating a major portion of a refrigerator provided with a conventional ice-making device.
As illustrated in the figure, an inner case 12 is coupled to the inside of an outer case 11 defining the external appearance of a refrigerator main body 10. The inner case 12 is to define the inside of the main body 10, and a freezing chamber 13 that is a storage space is substantially defined by the inner case 12.
Provided on one side of the main body 10 is a door 15 for selectively opening or closing the freezing chamber 13. The door 15 is installed to the main body 10 to be pivotable on one end thereof so that the other end thereof is moved in the fore and aft direction. The door 15 includes an outer door 16 and a door liner 17. The outer door 16 defines the front external appearance of the door 15. Furthermore, the door liner 17 defines the backside external appearance of the door 15.
A shroud 19 is provided inside the freezing chamber 13. The shroud 19 is positioned to be spaced apart by a predetermined distance from the rear side of the freezing chamber 13. Furthermore, the shroud 19 is formed with a plurality of cold air discharge holes 19A through which cold air is discharged into the freezing chamber 13.
Meanwhile, a heat exchange chamber 21 is formed between the rear side of the freezing chamber 13 and the backside of the shroud 19. The lower part of the heat exchange chamber 21 is provided with an evaporator (not shown) for generating cold air. Furthermore, the upper part of the heat exchange chamber 21 is provided with an air-blowing fan 23 for discharging cold air, which is heat-exchanged in the evaporator, to the freezing chamber 13.
An ice maker 25 is provided in the upper part of the rear side of the freezing chamber 13 corresponding to the front of the air-blowing fan 23. The ice maker 25 is installed to extend from side to side on the upper part of the freezing chamber 13 adjacent to the shroud 19. The ice maker 25 serves to make ice and transfer it to an ice bank 31, which will be described later.
A motor casing 27 is installed on one side of the freezing chamber 13 below the ice maker 25. A feed motor 20 for driving a feed lever 31A to be described later is provided in the motor casing 17.
The ice bank 31 is provided in the freezing chamber 13 corresponding to the front of the motor casing 27. The ice bank 31 serves to transfer the ice received from the ice maker 25 to a dispenser (not shown) and to enable a user to take out the ice from the outside. To this end, the feed lever 31A driven by a feed motor 29 is provided in the ice bank 31. One end of the feed lever 31 A is connected to a drive shaft of the feed motor 29.
However, the conventional refrigerator so configured has the following problems.
As described above, in the prior art, the ice maker 25 is installed on the rear side of the freezing chamber 13 to extend from side to side. Furthermore, in order to transfer the ice made in the ice maker 25 to the dispenser, the motor casing 27 and the ice bank 31 are respectively provided in the freezing chamber 13. Hence, there is a disadvantage in that a storage capacity of the freezing chamber 13 is reduced as much as a volume of the ice maker 25, the motor casing 27 and the ice bank 31.
Furthermore, since the ice maker 25 is installed in the freezing chamber 13, the ice maker 25 makes ice by means of cold air circulating in the freezing chamber 13. Hence, in a process of making ice in the ice maker 25, smell of other food stored in the freezing chamber 13 can permeate the ice.
Disclosure
Technical Problem
The present invention is conceived to solve the aforementioned problems in the prior art. An object of the present invention is to provide an ice-making device for a refrigerator that is configured to prevent the lowering of a storage capacity of a refrigerator.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an ice-making device for a refrigerator that is configured to minimize the phenomenon that smell of other food stored in the refrigerator permeates ice.
Technical Solution
According to an aspect of the present invention for achieving the objects, there is provided a An ice-making device for a refrigerator including a main body having a storage space and a door selectively opening or closing the storage space, the ice-making device comprising: an ice maker installed on a backside of the door and making ice; and a cold air duct provided in one side of the storage space and supplying the ice maker with a portion of cold air supplied to the storage space.
At this time, the cold air duct is formed to extend in its longitudinal direction and is provided on a ceiling of the storage space to extend in a fore and aft direction.
Further, wherein a support rib is provided on an inside of a rear end of the cold air duct, the support rib having an underside supported on a top side of a fastening rib provided on a front side of a shroud, the shroud being spaced from a rear side of the storage space by a predetermined distance; and a fastening boss is provided on a front end of the cold air duct, the fastening boss being formed with a through hole through which a fastener fastened to a fastening hole formed in the ceiling of the storage space passes.
Preferably a fastening protrusion inserted into a fastening recess formed in the ceiling of the storage space is further provided in a front end of the cold air duct.
At this time cold air inlet could be formed in a rear end of the cold air duct, the cold air inlet communicating with a cold air discharge hole formed in the shroud, which is spaced apart from a rear side of the storage space by a predetermined distance; and a cold air outlet for supplying cold air to the ice maker through a cold air introduction hole is formed in a front end of the cold air duct, the cold air introduction hole being formed in an ice maker cover, the ice maker cover being detachably installed on the backside of the door to selectively open or close the ice maker.
At this time an auxiliary cold air outlet for discharging a portion of cold air introduced through the cold air inlet to the storage space is further provided in one side of the cold air duct.
And the ice-making device, further comprise an ice maker cover detachably installed on the backside of the door to selectively open or close the ice maker of an ice bank detachably installed on the backside of the door below the ice maker, the ice bank storing ice made in the ice maker and transferring it to a dispenser provided on the door.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided An ice-making device for a refrigerator including a main body having a storage space and a door selectively opening or closing the storage space, the ice-making device comprising: an ice maker installed on a backside of the door and making ice; and an ice maker cover detachably installed on the backside of the door to selectively open or close the ice maker.
Preferably fixing recesses opened downwardly into which fixing protrusions are inserted are formed in the outsides of both sides of the ice maker cover, respectively, the fixing protrusions being provided at their corresponding positions on side surfaces of a pair of support steps facing each other, the support steps being formed to protrude rearward by a predetermined length from both side ends of the backside of the door and to vertically extend.
At this time a fastening hook elastically fastened to the backside of the door is provided on a lower end of a rear side of the ice maker cover adjacent to the backside of the door.
Preferably a cold air introduction hole into which cold air to be supplied to the ice maker is introduced is formed in a top side of the ice maker cover.
At this time a plurality of blades for guiding cold air to be supplied to the ice maker are further provided in the cold air introduction hole.
Preferably the blades are inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical axis to guide cold air to the ice maker along a shortest route.
At this time one of the blades that is positioned most adjacent to the ice maker has an inclination angle of 45 degrees with respect to the vertical axis, another one of the blades that is positioned to be furthest spaced from the ice maker has an inclination angle of 70 degrees with respect to the vertical axis, and the others of the blades respectively have inclination angles that are gradually increased between 45 and 70 degrees with respect to the vertical axis as they become further away from the ice maker.
Preferably a portion of cold air supplied to the storage space through a cold air outlet of a cold air duct is introduced into the cold air introduction hole, the cold air duct being provided on the ceiling of the storage space to extend in a fore and aft direction.
At this time the cold air duct is downwardly inclined at a predetermined slope from a front end thereof, in which the cold air outlet is formed, toward a rear end thereof adjacent to a rear end of the storage space; a top side of the ice maker cover in which the cold air introduction hole is formed is downwardly inclined from a rear end thereof adjacent to the backside of the door toward a front end thereof to mate with the cold air duct in shape; and the cold air duct and the ice maker cover are positioned to mate with each other in shape in a state where the door closes the storage space, whereby the cold air outlet and the cold air introduction hole communicate with each other.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ice-making device for a refrigerator including a main body having a storage space and a door selectively opening or closing the storage space, the ice-making device comprising: an ice maker installed on a backside of the door and making ice; and an ice bank detachably installed on the backside of the door below the ice maker, the ice bank storing ice made in the ice maker and transferring it to a dispenser provided on the door.
The ice-making device is further comprising a seating member installed in a space, which is defined by the backside of the door, side surfaces of a pair of support steps facing each other and a seating step, the support steps being formed to protrude rearward from both side ends of the backside of the door by a predetermined length and to extend vertically, the seating step being formed to extend from side to side in such a manner that a portion of the backside of the door between the support steps protrudes rearward by a predetermined length, the seating member being provided with an installation space in which the ice maker and the ice bank are installed.
At this time at least one catching recess, into which at least one catching protrusion provided on a bottom side of the installation space is inserted, is formed in an underside of the ice bank.
Further the underside of the ice maker and an upper end circumference of the ice bank are spaced apart from each other by a distance smaller than the height of the catching protrusion; a rear side of the ice bank is spaced from a front side of the installation space by a predetermined distance; and if the ice bank is moved to be upwardly inclined toward the front side of the installation space in a state where an upper end of the rear side thereof is rotated about a lower end thereof to be adjacent to the front side of the installation space, the catching protrusion is separated from the catching recess, whereby the ice bank is detachable from the installation space.
And a round portion can be provided in a lower end of the rear side of the ice bank, the round portion causing the ice bank to be easily rotated about the lower end thereof in a direction in which the upper end of the rear side thereof becomes adjacent to the front side of the installation space.
Preferably a catching rib positioned adjacent to the upper end of the rear side of the ice bank is provided on the front side of the installation space; and if the ice bank is rotated about the lower end thereof in a direction in which the upper end thereof becomes spaced apart from the front side of the installation space, the upper end of the rear side of the ice bank is caught to the catching rib, whereby the ice bank is prevented from being inadvertently detached from the installation space.
And the ice-making device is further comprising a cold air duct provided in one side of the storage space and supplying the ice maker with a portion of cold air supplied to the storage space.
And the ice-making device is further comprising an ice maker cover detachably installed on an upper part of the installation space so that upper and lower end circumferences of the ice bank are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, the ice maker cover selectively opening or closing the ice maker.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided An ice-making device for a refrigerator including a main body having a storage space and a door selectively opening or closing the storage space, the ice-making device comprising: an ice maker installed on a backside of the door and making ice; and a seating member installed in a space, which is defined by the backside of the door, side surfaces of a pair of support steps facing each other and a seating step, the support steps being formed to protrude rearward from both side ends of the backside of the door by a predetermined length and to extend vertically, the seating step being formed to extend from side to side in such a manner that a portion of the backside of the door between the support steps protrudes rearward by a predetermined length, the seating member being provided with an installation space in which the ice maker is installed.
And the ice-making device can be further comprising a cold air guide provided on the backside of the door and guiding a portion of cold air supplied to the storage space to the ice maker.
At this time, the cold air guide is configured in a pair and provided to vertically extend on one side of the seating member corresponding to the front side of the installation space.
Preferably, the seating member includes a front plate having a backside brought into contact with the backside of the door between the support steps, both side plates provided on both side ends of the front plate and having outer surfaces brought into contact with side surfaces of the support steps facing each other, respectively, and a bottom plate provided on lower ends of the front and side plates and having a bottom side brought into contact with a top side of the seating step.
And fixing recesses opened downwardly into which fixing protrusions are inserted are formed in the outer surfaces of both the side plates, respectively, the fixing protrusions being provided at their corresponding positions on the side surfaces of the support steps facing each other, and a through hole, through which a fastener to be fastened to a fastening hole formed in the top side of the seating step passes, is formed in the bottom plate.
And a pair of mounting brackets in each of which a through hole can be formed are provided on one side of the ice maker; and the front plate is formed with a pair of fastening holes to which fasteners penetrating the through holes of the mounting brackets are fastened.
And the ice-making device can be further comprising an ice maker cover detachably installed on the backside of the door to selectively open or close the ice maker.
And the ice-making device can be further comprising an ice bank detachably installed in the installation space below the ice maker, the ice bank storing ice made in the ice maker and transferring it to a dispenser provided on the door.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided An ice-making device for a refrigerator including a main body having a storage space and a door selectively opening or closing the storage space, the ice-making device comprising: an ice maker installed on a backside of the door and making ice; a cold air duct provided in one side of the storage space and supplying the ice maker with a portion of cold air supplied to the storage space; an ice maker cover detachably installed on the backside of the door to selectively open or close the ice maker; and an ice bank detachably installed on the backside of the door below the ice maker, the ice bank storing ice made in the ice maker and transferring it to a dispenser provided on the door.
At this time the cold air duct is formed to extend in its longitudinal direction and is provided on a ceiling of the storage space to extend in a fore and aft direction; a cold air inlet into which cold air flowing in the storage space is introduced is formed in a rear end of the cold air duct; and a cold air outlet for supplying cold air to the ice maker is formed in a front end of the cold air duct.
And a cold air introduction hole into which cold air to be supplied to the ice maker is introduced is formed in a top side of the ice maker cover.
And a front end of the cold air duct in which the cold air outlet is formed and a top side of the ice maker cover on which the cold air introduction hole is formed are shaped to mate with each other in a state where the door closes the storage space.
And a plurality of blades for guiding cold air to be supplied to the ice maker are further provided in the cold air introduction hole.
And the blades are inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical axis to guide cold air to the ice maker along a shortest route.
At this time, further comprising a seating member installed in a space, which is defined by the backside of the door, side surfaces of a pair of support steps facing each other and a seating step, the support steps being formed to protrude rearward from both side ends of the backside of the door by a predetermined length and to extend vertically, the seating step being formed to extend from side to side in such a manner that a portion of the backside of the door between the support steps protrudes rearward by a predetermined length, the seating member being provided with an installation space in which the ice maker, the ice maker cover and the ice bank are installed.
Preferably a cold air guide for guiding cold air to the ice maker is further provided on the seating member, the cold air being supplied by the cold air duct and the ice maker cover.
Advantageous Effects
According to the ice-making device of the present invention so configured, there is an advantageous in that a storage capacity of a refrigerator can be used to the full extent, and smell of food can be prevented from permeating ice in a process of making ice.